I loved college. During my four years at Boston College, I had the privilege of learning from incredible professors, living with life-long friends, and learning just how good and well-meaning young people can be. The positivity, hope and excitement for life that our campus exuded was palpable. And for good reason: the world was changing significantly and many of us would be a part of that transformation.

I graduated over 12 years ago (sigh) when things like email, chat and Google were still new. Most people didn't have a cell phone. Across the Charles River, the first version of Facebook was being developed. In general, the world was far less connected. Looking back, the breadth of career possibilities and lifestyle choices seem so limited.

I've always said that I'd go back to BC again in a heartbeat and I still think that holds true. However, I find a concept like the Minerva Project intriguing and it makes me wonder if our nation's top universities should be providing students with similar innovative global education options.

Dubbed "The University of Everywhere", Minerva has challenged the traditional concept of higher education, opting to use technology and global immersion to develop a nomadic school comprised of students representing different countries from around the world. At Minerva there is no minority or majority population. The campus rotates across seven different cities around the world so it's not rooting itself in just one history - it's rooting in many. Professors, physically located around the world, teach via an interactive online classroom. The curriculum focuses on critical and creative thinking as well as effective communication. If you think about it, this school must provide an explosion of diverse perspectives.

Imagine that by age 22, you've lived in San Francisco, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Mumbai, London and New York. Your best friends might be from Israel, Brazil and China. Long gone are the massive lectures that many students sleep through. Instead, most of your courses are small virtual classrooms (Google Hangouts style) where participation and debate are required from all. Since you are living in different cities you get to actually see much of the content you are studying first hand.

Of course, this type of program is not for every student. In fact, I'd say it's not for most students, particularly those who are set on pursuing a specific field (ie medicine) or simply those kids already nervous about leaving the comforts of home. But for those outgoing students that crave adventure, this school could be a dream come true. Especially considering that it costs $10,000/year (USD) which is less than half of a typical US private school tuition.

Of course, there are some concerns. For example:

How does Minerva attract top teaching talent? Their first hire was former Harvard professor Stephen Kosslyn so they are off to a good start. Perhaps there is an appeal for professors to work virtually so they can live wherever they please. If I had to choose between living in - say South Bend, Indiana and Paris, I'd choose Paris in a heartbeat. This also offers professors a way to continue teaching while doing in-market research for a new endeavor.

$10K/year plus room & board is still pricey for many students, especially those coming from certain countries where the average household income is below $10K/year. Will a for-profit university offer decent scholarships to deserving students?

Is an online classroom inferior to an in-person class? Based on my experience I'd say yes - it's far inferior. But then again, I'm not an 18 year old kid who grew up online.

The list of concerns is long, valid, and often originate from alumni and faculty from USA's most elite schools. By marketing themselves as "elite", Minvera has certainly struck a chord. While I'm not an expert in higher education, I support innovation across industries and I think travel can be a tool for both educational enrichment and relationship development. I hope our leading universities take note and start incorporating a nomadic education option for those students interested and capable.

In college I spent a semester abroad in Spain and it opened up my eyes to a lifetime of thrilling possibilities. I still consider it to be one of the best decisions I've ever made because it threw me way out of my comfort zone, which is how I learned to be more confident. Travel set the tone for my adult life, pushing me to take risks, to learn from doing, and to gain perspective. I think programs like the Minerva Project will help young people thrive in our global economy as well as gain understanding and tolerance for people from other cultures. I'm looking forward to seeing how the program evolves and what its future alumni accomplish in the world!

To learn more about Minerva, check out the video below and this article from The Atlantic.

I know, I know - not another article about the damn snow! But many of us can't help but look at picture after picture of the Goliath sized snow piles lining the streets of Boston. With over six feet of snow in three weeks and icicles the size of Godzilla's teeth threatening to impale us upon exiting our homes, I feel like the movie Frozen was really about Boston, not some medieval nordic hamlet.

Harvard University yesterday. Could this be Elsa's handiwork (or "Elser" as they call her here)? Perhaps she's a Yalie?

While we complain about the snow often here in New England, I think that we secretly like it for the following reasons:

7 Reasons Why Bostonians Secretly Like Blizzards

1) We get an outpouring of sympathy from around the world for the bad traffic, train delays, shoveling and the impending floods on the horizon. Being a city full of Gen Ys, we revel in the attention.

2) At the same time, we get to reject said sympathy and brag about how tough we are. I've heard all three of the following statements in the last two weeks – verbatim:

"I shoveled 10 tons of snow this afternoon. It's good exercise for the back". "I went for my 11-mile marathon training run the morning of Juno. It was actually refreshing". "I can't believe they canceled school for just a foot of snow. What a bunch of pansies!"

I'm not kidding. Verbatim.

3) There is a tacit understanding that Bostonians can save their street parking space with whatever piece of junk they happen to have lying around. If someone moves your chair/cone/walker and takes your space, you are entitled to slash their tires or, in Jamaica Plain, you just shovel the snow back onto the "thief's" car. Either way, there is some satisfaction to be had.

Better not move that walker or Gramps will shove his cane in your tailpipe.

4) We get full license to berate anyone on social media posting pictures of sunshine, beaches and palm trees. There has been a virtual blizzard of "GFYs" on Facebook over the last two weeks.

5) New micro economies are springing up. We are already taking bets on when the snow will melt and enterprising high school and college kids are using their youthful brawn to earn extra cash by charging local residents a hefty fee for shoveling out their cars.

6) We get to ski. In the city. Pretty freaking cool.

7) It gives us something to talk about. Because, let's be honest, nothing else is happening here in February.

And with that, here are a few of my favorite neighborhood blizzard pics:

Forget about snow-covered cars - this HOUSE is almost completely buried!

Free parking for anyone with a shovel!

Walking down my sidewalk after the last storm.

This face makes 6 feet of snow look cute.

Here are a few shots of Cambridge, MA from the @beyondvoyage Instagram gallery:

St. Petersburg, Russia? Nope, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Buried in my office during Juno.

Deadly icicles near Harvard.

They may cause a lot of chaos, but blizzards can be incredibly peaceful and beautiful.

I recently wrote about our wonderful getaway to El Conquistador resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. One of the highlights of staying at this resort is access to their private island called Palomino Island. During our visit to the island we noticed that part of the beach was fenced off and, being the curious person that I am, I wandered beyond fence to see what was afoot. I was surprised to find a full crew working on a serious set design, complete with a truckload of lighting, a stage and sound equipment. They were also building wooden pyres in the shape of a symbol that I couldn't place at the time.

Something major was happening on little Palomino Island.

I took a picture of the crew working on the set from the ferry.

I asked one of the island employees about the set and he grinned, ear to ear, and said that he could only tell me that it was a private corporate event. I remember thinking, "What corporation has an event like this on a beautiful island?" Because I seriously might consider working there.

Well, it turns out I'm not quite qualified to work at this particular event because it's the set of the first ever Victoria's Secret fashion show (to be televised on Feb 26th). After we left the island, we found out via Instagram, that just two days after our departure, El Conquistador and Palomino Island were chock-full of supermodels from around the world. Chris almost choked on the lime-drenched olives he was eating when I told him!

Some dude on Instagram used the #palominoisland hashtag and posted this picture of Adriana Lima on the beach:

Maroon 5 and Juanes were both performing at the event so we missed the chance to see Adam Levine zipping around the island in his fancy boat:

It's really Adam's loss, because no one moves more like Jagger than my husband. If Adam saw these dance moves, he would have most definitely cast Chris in his next video!

While I've never watched a Victoria's Secret fashion show before, I'm going to try to tune in this year to see the final outcome of the set!

In my last post, I shared our wonderful experience at El Conquistador in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. While one can certainly park oneself at the resort and never leave, there are lots of activities, local restaurants and attractions in the area that are worth checking out. Here are a few suggestions:

1) Morning Hike: El Yunque RainforestIf you have any interest in hiking, waterfalls, sweeping views and wildlife, then El Yunque is not to be missed. Fajardo is an ideal base camp for a visit to the rainforest given its proximity. I recommend heading out early in the morning on a clear day. Be sure to wear sneakers or hiking shoes and a bathing suit under your clothing in case you want to cool off in one of the waterfalls! Follow one of the many trails to find waterfalls, a plethora of flora, sweeping views of the island and, if you are lucky, exotic birds. Visit Yokahu Tower for panoramic views of the island, followed by a dip in La Mina falls. You can also see El Yunque on horseback or via mountain bike. After your hike, drive directly toward the coast and enjoy peaceful Luquillo Beach. Here you will find a large palm-dotted white sand beach with calm, clear water. They have a changing/shower facility and a bunch of little food shacks where you can get lunch.

View from one of the lookout towers in El Yunque

Luquillo Beach

2) Underwater Adventure: Snorkel Icacos IslandIcacos island is not far from El Conquistador's private island (Palomino Island), however Icacos boasts a nice reef for snorkeling. Book a catamaran tour that leaves from Fajardo for a half day of snorkeling. While we didn't visit Icacos on our last trip, we have been several times either on a catamaran tour or on a friend's boat. The beach is pristine, the water is clear and I remember seeing a lot of colorful fish and coral here. One tip is to swim to the outer reef which is a bit further away from where all the boats stop. Here you can see much prettier coral and a larger variety of sea life like octopus and sting rays.

3) Outdoor Dining: El EstacionThis restaurant is a must if you are staying in Fajardo. A former executive chef from NYC partnered with a local and transformed an old gas station into a charming and eclectic indoor/outdoor dining experience. We didn't make reservations, but didn't mind waiting 45 minutes for our table at the bar where we enjoyed a couple of cocktails and the smell from the outdoor bbq. We'd read that they were famous for their lechon (roasted pig) but found out that they only make it on Sundays and we would only be in Fajardo mid-week. We quickly got over this miss once we looked at the menu. We had a delicious appetizer of chorizo pinchos with manchego cheese followed by a main course of seafood mofongo (me) and bbq pork spare ribs (Chris). Everything was delicious and I'd say this was the best mofongo I've had on the island. There was a high seafood to plantain ratio which ensured that the meal was not too dry (a common problem with mofongo). Some day we'll be back for their lechon on Sunday!

El Estacion

Waiting area/lounge/bar

I was surprised by the GIANT seafood mofongo. I surprised Chris by eating all of it.

Chorizo Pinchos

4) Night Kayak: Bioluminescent Bay

Puerto Rico has three bioluminescent bays, one of which is La Laguna Grande in Fajardo. These lagoons contain millions of micro-organisms that illuminate at night seconds after agitated. When your kayak or paddle glides through the water, the dark liquid illuminates for an instant. We visited years ago and they allowed us to swim in the lagoon which was frightening at first since you are basically swimming in a dark abyss. But fear changes to delight after seeing the water light up around your body! We also exchanged a lot of laughs trying to get back into our kayak from the water! Not easy, and definitely NOT graceful:) One tip - the darker the night, the better, so try to go when there is no moon out.

I don't have a picture from our bio bay trip but I found this image on TripAdvisor and thought it was the most accurate in capturing what we saw on our adventure. Some of the pictures online show a massive glowing blue bay which is not at all like the real thing.

5) Discover a Hidden Beach: Playa Medio Mundo in Ceiba

We heard there was a hidden white sand beach in the nearby town of Ceiba so we went exploring one afternoon after a day on Palomino Island. Playa Medio Mundo is not the easiest beach to locate but we eventually managed to find it. First you have to drive to Playa Los Machos which might be the saddest little beach in Puerto Rico. Drive to the end of the abandoned beach parking lot and park. You'll see a forest of mangrove trees with a path. The path looks wicked sketchy and I was hesitant to go on, but Chris went without a care in the world. I followed him with a fallen tree branch in hand just in case there were any wild animals lurking in the woods (ie hungry, abandoned dogs). About a five minute walk down the path, we were at Playa Medio Mundo. Unfortunately for us, we arrived at the wrong time of day. The sun was setting behind the mangroves casting a huge shadow on the beach and the tide was high which meant little to no visible dry sand. It was dissapointing. We considering coming back in the morning when the sun would be shining on the white sand but opted to go back to beautiful Palomino! Honestly, this might not be worth the 20 minute drive out of the way if you're here at the wrong time, but if you aren't staying at El Conquistador or if you are passing by, it's probably worth checking out.